Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) are vital for mission excellence. We can achieve this excellence by sustaining a work environment that values respect, authenticity, and embraces individuals from diverse cultures, perspectives, and lived experiences.
Continuous education is a foundational building block for advancing DEIA within an organization. Through ongoing training, awareness activities, and collaboration, the OIG community can strengthen the competency, motivation, and retention of a talented and diverse workforce that values and embraces the contributions of all its members. Doing so enhances our office culture, work products, and our effectiveness.
Special Emphasis Programs
Special Emphasis Programs were established in the Federal Government to remove barriers to equal employment opportunity for groups that were traditionally not represented or subjected to discrimination in the workforce. Special Emphasis Programs were strengthened by two Executive Orders. In 1969, Executive Order 11478, Equal Employment Opportunity in the Federal Government, established the Equal Employment Opportunity Program, and implemented the policy of the Federal government to provide equal opportunity in employment to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, or age.
In 2011, Executive Order 13583, Establishing a Coordinated Government-wide Initiative to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Federal Workforce, enhanced several Executive Orders, including EO 11478, by establishing that as the Nation's largest employer, the Federal Government has a special obligation to lead by example in attaining a diverse, qualified workforce. Our Nation derives strength from the diversity of its population and from its commitment to equal opportunity for all. Therefore, a commitment to equal opportunity, diversity, and inclusion is critical for the Federal Government as an employer.
- Martin Luther King, Jr., Birthday (Federal holiday observed on the third Monday in January)
- National Black History Month (February)
- National Women's History Month (March
- Irish-American Heritage Month (March)
- Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31)
- Days of Remembrance of Victims of the Holocaust (April-May - dates vary each year according to the Hebrew calendar)
- National Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May)
- National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Pride Month (June)
- National Caribbean-American Heritage Month (June)
- Juneteenth Day of Observance (June 19)
- Women’s Equality Day (August 26)
- National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 each year
- National Disability Employment Awareness Month (October)
- Native American Heritage Month (November)
- Veterans Day (November 11)
- Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20)
Special Emphasis Programs at USDA OIG
- African Americans Employment Program
- American Indian and Alaska Natives Program
- Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Program
- Hispanic Employment Program
- Individual with Disabilities Program
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) Program
Through various observances and events, USDA OIG acknowledges the invaluable contributions Americans, past and present, have made to help foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our programs and operations.
Most observances are established by Presidential proclamation or Congress. These observances are designed to recognize the contributions and achievements of diverse groups to the nation and our workforce. The programs are educational and employment related.
Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) is conducted as a government-wide survey annually by the OPM to measure employee perception of whether, and to what extent, conditions characterizing successful organizations are present in their agencies.
Each year, the Partnership for Public Service ranks Federal agencies based on responses to the Office of Personnel Management’s annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS). The overall rankings are calculated by the Partnership for Public Service and Boston Consulting Group.
View USDA OIG’s employee engagement and satisfaction scores.